A twist in fate
by Tuathail
Summary: In ITHOTG, when Alanna was captured, what if Jon was stopped before he could save her? How would she escape? What would happen when she does? And where would Tortall be without her? [Hiatus]
1. Prologue

**A twist in fate**

**Summary:** In ITHOTG, what if Jon was stopped before he had the chance to rescue Alanna? What would happen to our hero then? Where would Tortall be without her? And how was she going to escape?

Yes, this story completely, utterly and totally belong to Vera, who is the most wonderful and yes, stubborn, person in the world. Check her out at 

This was of course her idea but since she couldn't be bothered I will write this story from now on.


	2. Captured!

Captured! 

Jonathan looked around the boat at the people he had managed to recruit, smiling grimly to himself as he thought of the rescue mission ahead. It was going to be hard, but he knew-or hoped-that he had the upper hand, and that they were going to win. He gave the signal and the boat starting moving, leaving the shore further and further behind.

Just as he thought the shore was becoming invisible, a few figures came into the clearing and very obviously stared at the boat. He recognized two of the people as Myles and Roger, and knew that there was trouble.

In Roger's tent...

Myles and Roger were playing chess when the news of the Prince's plan reached it. Roger was livid with anger.

"Shall I assemble a helping force, Your Grace?" the guardsman asked, "They must be outnumbered-"

"Don't be a fool!" Roger snapped at the man, "It'll be OUR heads with the King if we further my cousin's folly. However, I do have a better idea."

Myles followed Roger onto the riverbank, where the boat had just about disappeared from view. Roger nodded to himself, pleased, and started muttering, obviously doing a spell.

Myles rung his hands, although he wasn't sure why. On one hand, he wanted Jonathan to succeed, yet his duty was, ironically, to stop him. He could only wish luck to Squire Alan and watch how the situation on the riverbank turned out.

Jonathan was urging his men on when Roger's spell started to take effect. The air around them started to feel like honey, making him gasp for breath and stopping the boat from moving and further. And then, as if a net has caught the ship, the ship started moving backwards towards the Tortallan shore.

Jon gripped his hands hard enough to draw blood, moving back towards safety in spite of himself. What was Alanna going to do?

Meanwhile, in the enemy camp or prison or whatever...

Alanna gasped for breath. For a man his size, Hilam sure punched pretty hard. She wiled herself not to listen, to ignore what he was saying to her. Now he was saying something about torturing information out of her. Not that she planned to talk any more than she had to.

"Pigs might fly," she snapped back at him when he seemed to be finished. She spat in his face, just for good measure.

Hilam wiped the spit away calmly, his eyes thoughtful. That made her nervous. "You'll take a while to break," he smiled suddenly, and her stomach sank even lower, "That will be quite enjoyable. Only think, you'll have the doubtful fame of being the one responsible for my taking this entire valley. How does THAT sit with your much-loved honor, Squire Alan?"

"Perhaps your mother betrayed your father with a warthog," Alanna said, anything to shut the other man up. She didn't want to listen to him, didn't want to even think about the possibility of what he was saying being true. She added, just to stay in the game, "You both certainly have a warthog's manners. Jem there even has a warthog's looks."

She knew she hit a nerve when Jem lunged for her, and was grateful when one of the guardsmen stopped him. She wanted to preserve her energy for when she would escape.

"Jemis is very rash," Hilam informed Alanna, "I'm not. It's going to take far more than these little barbs to pierce MY armor-"

Alanna kept her eyes steely and stared the man down, thought inside she was starting to panic. The truth, that she was stuck in an enemy camp without her weapons or her Gift, was starting to sink in. She was scared, yet determined not to show it.

"Oh really?" Alanna retorted casually, fighting to keep the tremor from her voice, "because your armor looked somewhat pierced when you struck out at me those times. I must have been mistaken."

His fist came down again, but this time she was ready. She ducked under it, Hilam's fist making contact with the wall. The satisfying sound of crushed bone rang through the air as Alanna smiled to herself. "Oops, guess we missed." She grinned cheerfully, showing teeth. Finally, she was dominating the conversation. She didn't have the upper hand, but the conversation was going her way.

Hilam struck out again, and this time the punch caught Alanna hard on the eye. She winced and staggered, but came up a second later, blinking blood from her eye.

"Best you can do?" she taunted, "now I know why your knights dance so well. It's what they practice in combat lessons." She was forced to stop due to her shortness of breath.

"Big words for such a little fellow," Hilam seemed to get himself under control, "Pity we have to end your life soon. We could really use someone with that kind of courage in the face of death."

Again Alanna had to will herself to shut him off, because she couldn't listen. She couldn't let his words get to her. She didn't break-and wasn't planning to-under fists, so why let herself get broken by words?

"You could," Alanna bit back, "since it's pretty obvious that nobody in Tusaine has courage of that kind. In fact, if they had any courage at all, they would have overthrown your brother ages ago."

Jem, who had been standing in a corner, took an outraged breath and leapt forwards. Hilam put a hand on his arm and shook his head a fraction. "I'm going to let the guards deal with you and your tongue, squire," he informed her, his rage barely contained, "since your words are most obviously not worthy of meeting my ears." He turned and left, waving a hand at the guards as he did. Jem left the room with him.

Alanna looked around as guards filed in, taking with them what she identified as torture instruments. (a/n eep!) Her heart beating furiously, she dropped all pretense that this wasn't getting to her, and sunk to the floor. All she could do was curl up into a ball in a fetal position, and hope for one thing.

Help.

Speaking of help...

Jon glared at his cousin, crossing his arms. Okay, so he was wrong for attempting to rescue his squire, but Roger had really gotten on his nerves when he used magic to bring them back. And now, Roger had made him a bargain. It wasn't a good one, but it was the only one that left him breathing space. He wouldn't attempt a rescue if Roger didn't report this one to the King. Not that, of course, Jon was prepared to meet his end of the bargain. Because Alanna wasn't going to stay there for one second longer than she had to.

Of course, there was always the problem of how he was going to get past a certain Duke.


	3. Hope

Hope  
  
A/N Sorry, haven't updated in a LONG time. I had a really bad fever.  
  
*Back in Corus, our hero finally surfaces*  
  
"Are you sure?" He asked for confirmation, his knuckles white as he clutched the arms of his chair.  
  
"Positive," the man before him confirmed, "would I have told you if I wasn't? Prince Jonathan himself gave me the message to give to you."  
  
George sighed deeply, knowing what he said made sense and hating it. If the information he was getting was true, then Alanna was in big trouble, and he couldn't do a thing about it. There were times when knowing your messengers are always telling the truth can be a bad thing.  
  
"What are you going to do?" the man before him asked, a bit on the nervous side.  
  
"What CAN I do?" George said, "I can't turn my back on all of you for that long, you know I can't." His frowned, overwhelmed by indecisiveness, "but I have to. I...I can't leave the las-lad there by himself."  
  
"And you would leave US? It's-"  
  
"Too risky, I know," George interrupted, "but...there just isn't a choice. If what you're saying is true, then Alan doesn't have any form of help right now and he is a friend. I have to go help him."  
  
"Why not send a few of us?" the other man suggested.  
  
"It's not that I don't trust you, it's just..." George swallowed back the real reason, that she was a girl, who he has fallen in love with, "this is something I need to do."  
  
"Are you sure you won't change your mind?"  
  
"I can always change my mind. But I can't change my heart." His mind made up, the Rogue started to get ready for who knows what awaited him.  
  
*Remember the two "chums of mine"?*  
  
Micah could only run as fast as he can as a spear whizzed past his ear to land on the ground in front of him. Behind him he heard Keel gasp for breath as he attempted to catch up to his companion.  
  
"Come on, Keel," Micah urged without looking back, "we need to get out of here. If not for our sake, then Squire Alan's."  
  
That seemed to give him the burst of energy he needed to avoid a body slam from one of the guards. The two of them boosted off and miraculously, lost the guards.  
  
Keel allowed himself a backwards glance as he saw the guards moving in the direction that they had come from. That was good for them-but more likely bad for Squire Alan.  
  
Most likely VERY bad for him.  
  
*Again I apologise for the cliffie as we switch back to Jon, by the river*  
  
"I can't do this," he told Myles for the thousandth time, "I can't stay here while Alan goes through who knows what on that other side of the gods blest river."  
  
Me neither. Faithful agreed, his fur standing on end from pure anticipation.  
  
"Be calm, both of you," Myles told them gently but firmly, "I'm worried for him too, but this isn't going to help. Jonathan, I know what you're thinking. You can't."  
  
"And why not?" Jon asked him, "he's my squire!"  
  
They were interrupted by the clamor of men outside their tent. Myles frowned and poked his head outside, to be fallen on by a huge weight. At least that's what it seemed like. As Myles got to his feet, he looked over the two people outside his tent, and realized who they were.  
  
"Come in," he told Micah and Keel, both exhausted and wounded, "have some food."  
  
*now we switch back to our heroine Alanna, who in the least is worse for wear*  
  
Alanna gritted her teeth as unbelievable pain ran through her, searing her very bones like only lightning could. It made her want to scream, but she didn't, because she didn't want to give the enemy the satisfaction of having won.  
  
Her main concern, apart from getting away from the place, was her identity, and how close they had come to discovering it. She knew that one wrong move, and the enemy will discover that their "Squire Alan" was indeed a girl. She didn't even want to THINK about what might happen then.  
  
She squinted her eyes shut again, letting the pain wash over her like she'd been taught to do so long ago. She begged silently for help of any kind, because as much as she might hate to admit it, she was having trouble keeping her spirit up.  
  
Jonathan will come for me, she told herself, he has to. Or...or maybe somebody else. George, perhaps, or Micah and Keel. I'm sure somebody will save me.  
  
Yet that didn't comfort her in the least. Because she wanted everyone to be home, where it was safe. 


	4. Faith

Faith 

on the riverbank...

"There hasn't been a ransom note," Jon said, resuming his pacing, "nothing. It's like they don't know that he's a noble, which would be quite impossible. They want him there for a reason."

"Wait," Myles turned to the two footmen, "you say that they used special chains on him to prevent him using the Gift?" The two nodded, and Myles smoothed his beard thoughtfully. "They knew he was coming."

"Who?" Jon suddenly asked, "This doesn't strike me as just the war. Somebody else wants Alan gone. No, it all makes sense now. Why isn't there a ransom note? Alan is a noble with what's almost the bluest blood in Tortall. And it's pretty obvious that the enemy knew exactly who he is, and what to do with him. It wasn't just caution because the chains used on you two," he nodded to Micah and Keel, "weren't magickal."

"You think there was a plan behind this?" Myles asked, silently agreeing.

"I know it," Jon said confidently, "and unfortunately that doesn't get us very far."

Back in Corus, our hero George

George looked back once more at his home, knowing in his guts exactly how much risk he was taking by doing this. He also knew, however, that he loved Alanna, and that no matter what happened next, he had to try his best to save her.

Determined, he turned his horse around and set off down the road. Suddenly, fog rolled out from all around him and he blinked twice, wondering what was happening. His nose itched, which made him sneeze three times in a roll. When his eye cleared, a tall woman stood in front of him, and he knew immediately whom it was. That was the thing with Gods-as soon as you see them, you just knew.

He hopped off his horse and dropped to his knees, whispering "Goddess," and wondering what the great immortal wanted with him.

"George Cooper," the Goddess acknowledged him, "Greetings."

"What could I do for you, Goddess?" George asked frankly.

"You are on the road to rescue one of my Chosen. What happens next could only be determined by your will-both of you-and your abilities. There are things even us gods can't control," the Goddess told him, her even voice both whispering and screeching at the same time, "however, I think I can help you a little to speed you along."

"What do you mean?" George looked up at the immortal.

"Take my hand," she instructed, "and I can speed you along on your journey, deposit you one day's ride from the camp. The rest is in your hands. I'm trusting your strength. Do not fail me."

"I won't," he promised, his voice raspy as he touched the Goddess's dainty hand. With a flash of blinding light, he suddenly found himself on his horse in a town one day's ride away from the riverbank.

"Thank you, my Goddess," he said to the skies, hoping that she could hear him. But there was no time for that as he turned his horse and headed towards his love.

and we switch back to our heroine

She wiped a bit of blood off her lip and glared at the man entering the room. Hilam was looking over her with triumph in his eyes, and she felt like wiping the look off his face, preferably with an axe. But the truth was, she was seriously freaking out.

This wasn't the way she was taught to fight. All her life the only kind of fighting she'd learnt was hand to hand, where both were equally matched and there were rules to make it fair. Or, at least something where she knew what her weapons were, and what her opponent has the capability of doing.

But here? She was unarmed, without even the Gift which had become one of her major protections. She didn't have any idea what the enemy could or would do, and she knew that she was starting to panic. She's never been trained to fight in a situation like this, and she didn't have any idea what to do. She couldn't remember ever being taught what to do in situations like this. Okay, so say if she could break out of the chains, which was looking impossible. And then what? Now what?

She turned her attention to Hilam, glaring at him as well as she can. This man was about to learn that she wasn't that easily broken-and that even if he could take away her sword arm, he couldn't take away the edge of her tongue.

"Having fun?" He taunted.

"Just got better," she replied cheerfully, wincing as her lip cracked, again.

"Still not giving in, I see," he remarked.

"Well, no," he wasn't worried, and the temper that had surfaced yesterday was gone. That made HER worried. "is this the best you've got?"

"Oh, you don't even want to see what the best I've got is," Hilam told her, smiling faintly. Alanna, much as she would never admit it, agreed with him.

She also realized that as long as she had this man talking, she can somehow maybe turn this situation around. Find out some things. "You seem all to know about me," she remarked casually, "who told you? Come on, it's not like I'll spread the word. Unless you don't trust your own guards?" she taunted him, making him follow.

"Do you think you can trick me into telling you anything?" his answering smirk was all that it took for her to realize that this man really thought as a commander, "I do however agree that you wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon."

"So just tell me," she prodded, "who's the boss?"


End file.
